No, not Elizabeth Taylor but a veteran actress just as beautiful and talented, maybe more so, a tall, trim brunette with deep-set brown eyes, lovely skin, and a great smile. She's the best thing in this post "Peyton Place" (1957) soap opera, very expressive as a dying man's wife who falls in love with his doctor (Burton). The picture features Angie Dickinson as a nurse who passively adores Burton, but she's already involved with a corrupt lawyer (Jack Carson). A murder results in a courtroom trial at the end. The drama tends to jump around a lot, but is bolstered by exceptional jazz and traditional musical score by Leonard Rosenman, and attractive imitation New England locations, in color.
10 Reviews
Merciful killing
ulicknormanowen8 September 2022
The right to die in dignity ,which concerns us all , is still illegal in many a country.....
"The bramble bush" is an important film,weren't it only for its burning topic .
In 1981,in "whose life is it anyway? " ,Richard Dreyfuss ,paralysed after a car crash ,would ask for the right to die :as he was in a hospital ,it was not easy .
In Europa, recently ,some movies about assisted suicide were made in France ("quelques heures de Printemps" )and in Germany (und Morgen Mittag ,bin ich tot" ) but as it is illegal in both countries, death takes place in Switzerland .
It was all the more daring, risqué ,in the early sixties ; too bad it was given too melodramatic a treatment: nurse Angie Dickinson's affair with the go-getter lawyer with big ambitions in politics does not bring anything to the main plot ;and that the human doctor should be defended by such a cynical lawyer is not convincing.
But Burton ,as a tormented soul, wins the audience over ;when he depicts his childhood trauma , his talent does not need , like in too many works, the facile flashback :his words are enough ,such was the actor ; more than Barbara Rush's child , it's his merciful killing which infuriated and scandalized some people; if I were terminally-ill and suffering like Tom Drake,( "do it,but don't tell me when you're going to " ), I would be grateful to find a compassionate hand .
"The bramble bush" is an important film,weren't it only for its burning topic .
In 1981,in "whose life is it anyway? " ,Richard Dreyfuss ,paralysed after a car crash ,would ask for the right to die :as he was in a hospital ,it was not easy .
In Europa, recently ,some movies about assisted suicide were made in France ("quelques heures de Printemps" )and in Germany (und Morgen Mittag ,bin ich tot" ) but as it is illegal in both countries, death takes place in Switzerland .
It was all the more daring, risqué ,in the early sixties ; too bad it was given too melodramatic a treatment: nurse Angie Dickinson's affair with the go-getter lawyer with big ambitions in politics does not bring anything to the main plot ;and that the human doctor should be defended by such a cynical lawyer is not convincing.
But Burton ,as a tormented soul, wins the audience over ;when he depicts his childhood trauma , his talent does not need , like in too many works, the facile flashback :his words are enough ,such was the actor ; more than Barbara Rush's child , it's his merciful killing which infuriated and scandalized some people; if I were terminally-ill and suffering like Tom Drake,( "do it,but don't tell me when you're going to " ), I would be grateful to find a compassionate hand .
Post-Code shocking melodrama
HotToastyRag8 April 2021
The Bramble Bush reminded me a little of Portrait in Black. They're both melodramas with secrets, affairs, and cover-ups, and they're both about a doctor who makes a difficult decision about the health of his patient. They also both have flaws, so don't expect perfection.
Richard Burton, in a role that really doesn't showcase his talents, stars as a doctor called back to his small town at the request of his terminally ill friend, Tom Drake. There's a lot of bad blood in the town, and many reasons why he never wanted to return. And there's also no explanation as to why Dick has a Welsch accent and everyone else is American. His head nurse, Angie Dickinson, is harboring a years-old crush on him; but she's also having an affair with slick politician Jack Carson (who, miraculously, hasn't aged a day since 1948). James Dunn, the town drunk, riles Dick's temper at a mere glance.
This post-Code drama is full of taboo subjects, so if you like racy movies that really pushed the envelope and shocked audiences at the time, you've got to check this movie out. Richard Burton plays a real jerk, and he seems uncomfortable in the role, so don't judge him by this movie - but the story itself is very entertaining. Everyone makes terrific mistakes, and you'll be shouting at the television for the characters not to do what they're doing. Abortion, euthanasia, adultery, suicide, blackmail, and adultery are all key players in The Bramble Bush. I don't understand the title, though. Shoot Them on the Wing would have been better. Keep in mind this was made in 1961 and you'll be in great shape to be shocked.
Richard Burton, in a role that really doesn't showcase his talents, stars as a doctor called back to his small town at the request of his terminally ill friend, Tom Drake. There's a lot of bad blood in the town, and many reasons why he never wanted to return. And there's also no explanation as to why Dick has a Welsch accent and everyone else is American. His head nurse, Angie Dickinson, is harboring a years-old crush on him; but she's also having an affair with slick politician Jack Carson (who, miraculously, hasn't aged a day since 1948). James Dunn, the town drunk, riles Dick's temper at a mere glance.
This post-Code drama is full of taboo subjects, so if you like racy movies that really pushed the envelope and shocked audiences at the time, you've got to check this movie out. Richard Burton plays a real jerk, and he seems uncomfortable in the role, so don't judge him by this movie - but the story itself is very entertaining. Everyone makes terrific mistakes, and you'll be shouting at the television for the characters not to do what they're doing. Abortion, euthanasia, adultery, suicide, blackmail, and adultery are all key players in The Bramble Bush. I don't understand the title, though. Shoot Them on the Wing would have been better. Keep in mind this was made in 1961 and you'll be in great shape to be shocked.
All the soap hides some really good and important stuff.
planktonrules4 November 2022
"The Bramble Bush" is a frustrating movie. On one hand, it's an exceptional picture because it deals with euthanasia...an important topic that is almost completely ignored in movies. It brings up some great points....many of which get totally overwhelmed by the soapiness of pretty much everything else that takes place in the movie.
Dr. Guy Montford (Richard Burton) has returned to his old home town...a place he never wanted to see again. However, his best friend is dying and asking for him...and he cannot say no. Once in town, all sorts of soapy things occur...extramarital sex, rape, a pregnant wife...though the husband is not the father, etc.. There's so much that the film is much like "Peyton Place" on steroids...with more soap and crazy plot elements.
Overall, a film with some wonderful things to say about the right to die...but it manages to address them in the worst possible ways. A grumbly performance by Burton didn't help nor did a few extremely florid ones by others in the film. A real mixed bag...such that I can understand folks who gave the film low as well as high scores!
Dr. Guy Montford (Richard Burton) has returned to his old home town...a place he never wanted to see again. However, his best friend is dying and asking for him...and he cannot say no. Once in town, all sorts of soapy things occur...extramarital sex, rape, a pregnant wife...though the husband is not the father, etc.. There's so much that the film is much like "Peyton Place" on steroids...with more soap and crazy plot elements.
Overall, a film with some wonderful things to say about the right to die...but it manages to address them in the worst possible ways. A grumbly performance by Burton didn't help nor did a few extremely florid ones by others in the film. A real mixed bag...such that I can understand folks who gave the film low as well as high scores!
A film with a seriously complicated pot boiler plot and many twists, as I remember it.
lauriejane18 October 2006
I was 15 years old in 1960 when this flick was released (or escaped). I attended it on a blind date set up by my girlfriend, Carla. My date was a serious and proper young man who wore a suit and tie. Known for my teenage highjinks, I had assured my girlfriend that I would behave like a proper young lady. The complex tear jerking plot and multiple characters seemed to enchant the audience at the theatre on Hollywood Blvd. but kept me on the verge of laughter which I desperately attempted to stifle as the film went on...and on...and on. People were clutching handkerchiefs and sniffing back tears during the final courtroom scene when, at the sudden appearance of yet one more anguished character and one more unlikely plot twist, I gave in to a fit of teenage giggles. The scolding from my girlfriend, my date and offended members of the audience only increased my laughing fit which took on a life of its own, eventuating my removal by ushers who had to lift me out of my seat by the armpits and drag me screaming with laughter down the aisle into the lobby. Later, when I explained to my father why my girlfriend was no longer speaking to me and my date had ended early, he asked, "What was the movie?" He was a screenwriter and interested in such things. When I told him, he said, in a hushed, awed tone, "No wonder you laughed. That was the worst picture ever made." Instead of lecturing me about my improper social conduct, he commended me for having good taste in films.
High Gloss Trash
bkoganbing1 October 2010
When you have the classical training that Richard Burton had you can make some of the worst tripe sound as profound as the classics. But even he had trouble with The Bramble Bush which is a third class ripoff of Peyton Place.
Burton is cast as a doctor in The Bramble Bush gone back to his Peyton Place like New England town on a consultation. A good friend from childhood, Tom Drake, is dying of incurable Hodgkin's Disease and he'd like for Burton to put an end to him in a humane manner. So would Drake's wife Barbara Rush so she can move on. Burton helps with her problem as well.
And he's also helping nurse Angie Dickinson with her situation as well. Angie's involved with bottom feeding lawyer Jack Carson and later on bottom of the ocean feeding city editor Henry Jones learns about the two of them. Angie would much prefer Burton and Burton obliges as best he can.
James Dunn's character is totally unexplained. Burton has a visceral hatred for him because he found him in bed with his mother back in the day as a kid. But why Dunn is trying to push himself in Burton's company is totally up in the air. Dunn does a good job as an alcoholic, sad to say in real life as well.
What might have been an interesting film on euthanasia instead becomes a trashy soap opera in The Bramble Bush. A whole cast of some really good players is wasted here.
Burton is cast as a doctor in The Bramble Bush gone back to his Peyton Place like New England town on a consultation. A good friend from childhood, Tom Drake, is dying of incurable Hodgkin's Disease and he'd like for Burton to put an end to him in a humane manner. So would Drake's wife Barbara Rush so she can move on. Burton helps with her problem as well.
And he's also helping nurse Angie Dickinson with her situation as well. Angie's involved with bottom feeding lawyer Jack Carson and later on bottom of the ocean feeding city editor Henry Jones learns about the two of them. Angie would much prefer Burton and Burton obliges as best he can.
James Dunn's character is totally unexplained. Burton has a visceral hatred for him because he found him in bed with his mother back in the day as a kid. But why Dunn is trying to push himself in Burton's company is totally up in the air. Dunn does a good job as an alcoholic, sad to say in real life as well.
What might have been an interesting film on euthanasia instead becomes a trashy soap opera in The Bramble Bush. A whole cast of some really good players is wasted here.
The "Peyton Place" effect: Richard Burton lost among the brambles
moonspinner5517 May 2016
"The Bramble Bush", a melodramatic adaptation of Charles Mergendahl's equally melodramatic novel, begins with a classy credits sequence highlighted by Leonard Rosenman's sexy-menacing score--and then the troubles begin. We get a pretty aerial view of the New England town the story takes place in, but the minute Richard Burton steps off the bus (telling the driver, "Check my bag, I'll pick it up later"), we can see it's the same Warner Bros. backlot from a hundred other movies. Burton visits his parents' graves in the tiny cemetery, with headstones so chintzy I half-expected them to bend in the breeze. Burton plays a "big city doctor," begrudgingly returning to his hometown where his doctor-father was so beloved they named the hospital after him! Burton's presence opens old wounds, has female hearts fluttering, and gets him in hot water with the father of his childhood friend, slowly dying and wanting to be put out of his misery. The phony sets and backdrops aside, the main problem with "The Bramble Bush" is Burton; enunciating as if this were a Shakespearean tragedy, the miscast star is painfully earnest, robotic and virtually expressionless throughout. The other cast members don't fare much better, although Angie Dickinson has a moment or two as a smitten nurse who begs Burton to love her. Director Daniel Petrie's rhythm is thrown off by the editing, which leaves scenes either chopped short or overextended (exposing the actors in the process, Burton in particular). The film is simply Warners' attempt to cash-in on the "Peyton Place" trend: plush potboilers featuring well-heeled mannequins suffering in their estates. But the public knew a stinker when it saw one, and "The Bramble Bush" was a justifiable failure. *1/2 from ****
Don't Judge this Movie by Today's Standards
labbelover12 September 2022
This movie was released in 1960, over 60 years ago. It would be unfair to judge it by today's mores and knowledge, soon please keep that in mind.
This is a very good psychological drama in which the characters struggle with all sorts of complex emotions - grief, guilt, love, frustration, feelings of failure, helplessness and more.
Perhaps this movie hits home with me because my husband suffered from the same disease as the character - Hodgkin's Lymphoma - during the early 1980's. When this film was made, the disease was nearly uniformly fatal. Thankfully, my husband was cured of the disease, and since the 1980's more strides have been made in the treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
If you are a viewer who likes psychological dramas, you will probably like this movie. If not, please pass instead of downgrading it, because for what kind of movie it is and for the time it was made, it is very good.
This is a very good psychological drama in which the characters struggle with all sorts of complex emotions - grief, guilt, love, frustration, feelings of failure, helplessness and more.
Perhaps this movie hits home with me because my husband suffered from the same disease as the character - Hodgkin's Lymphoma - during the early 1980's. When this film was made, the disease was nearly uniformly fatal. Thankfully, my husband was cured of the disease, and since the 1980's more strides have been made in the treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
If you are a viewer who likes psychological dramas, you will probably like this movie. If not, please pass instead of downgrading it, because for what kind of movie it is and for the time it was made, it is very good.
If there was ever a soap opera character who needed a guiding light, it's Burton's.
mark.waltz25 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Some people leave their hometown for a reason and should never return. That's the situation for New England bred and born Richard Burton (with a British accent), coming back reluctantly to see ailing friend Tom Drake, and being dragged into more drama than soap viewers at the time were seeing in Springfield, Oakdale or Henderson. Drake, in major pain as a result of cancer, wants Burton to end his misery and marry his wife, Barbara Rush.
The townsfolk are the exact same type that the audience saw in Peyton Place, and here, the difference is that the leading focus is a man, not exactly totally sympathetic but certainly worth some empathy. He has a resentment against a lifelong drunk, James Dunn (a forgotten leading man from the 30's who had won the Oscar for playing the father in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"), the cause of him leaving town. The nurse on Drake's case is Angie Dickinson, in love with Burton, but troubled by his sudden fling with the grieving Rush.
The townsfolk includes an amoral politician (Jack Carson), a shady newspaper publisher (Henry Jones, gleefully informing Dickinson about Burton and Rush) and Drake's father (Carl Benton Reid) who hates Burton vehemently. Like King's Row, not the perfect place to raise your children, filled with melodramatic resentments and sick, nasty people. But fascinating in an eve's dropping way, with Burton chewing up the scenery, seemingly desperate to get through it. Corny direction by Daniel Petrie often had me laughing where I shouldn't have been.
The townsfolk are the exact same type that the audience saw in Peyton Place, and here, the difference is that the leading focus is a man, not exactly totally sympathetic but certainly worth some empathy. He has a resentment against a lifelong drunk, James Dunn (a forgotten leading man from the 30's who had won the Oscar for playing the father in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"), the cause of him leaving town. The nurse on Drake's case is Angie Dickinson, in love with Burton, but troubled by his sudden fling with the grieving Rush.
The townsfolk includes an amoral politician (Jack Carson), a shady newspaper publisher (Henry Jones, gleefully informing Dickinson about Burton and Rush) and Drake's father (Carl Benton Reid) who hates Burton vehemently. Like King's Row, not the perfect place to raise your children, filled with melodramatic resentments and sick, nasty people. But fascinating in an eve's dropping way, with Burton chewing up the scenery, seemingly desperate to get through it. Corny direction by Daniel Petrie often had me laughing where I shouldn't have been.
"Everyone has his own skeleton in his cupboard."
clanciai14 September 2022
This is a very interesting case charting the tricky runway through thorny bushes and shallow seas of the problems of euthanasia, and no one knows how it will end. It could end up a regular tragedy, and there could also be a happy ending. There is neither, because this is strictly a medical case, and Richard Burton plays a very regular and conventional doctor who tries to keep strictly to his own business, and even his senior advises him to avoid grounding on sentimental and relational shores in the difficult navigation. His friend Larry is mortally ill and expressly calls for his old childhood friend (Burton) to take charge of his case, while his father reacts strongly and even violently against it. Larry's wife is Barbara Bush, who had a happy marriage in the beginning until he became ill, and she never got the child she so strongly wanted. Larry wants Richard Burton to take care of her after he is gone, and they actually love each other. So what is the problem? Larry pleads to Richard to take his life, and Richard can't stand seeing his friend suffer. It all ends up in a trial with some surprising turns, and the end is very unexpected. Burton acts his part with great restraint, a very unusual part in his career, but he is still young here. The others second him well, but best of all is the terrific music by. Leonard Rosenman, which adds an extra dimension to the story, raising it to a very different and higher level than Peyton Palace - only the settings are almost identical. There are many other threads as well to this small town scandal story, but the main issue is the very debatable complex of mercy killing. How much can a dying patient endure of his pains, and how much can his kin and doctors endure seeing him suffer? Lots have happened since 1960, and today the problems about this are practically solved, but the issue remains eternally bothersome.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
